The average price of diesel fuel climbed 22.6 cents to a new
record of $4.723 per gallon Monday, May 26. The average price, up 76.8 cents in
seven weeks, is now $1.906 higher than this week last year, according to
information from the Department of Energy.
The 22.6 rise is the third largest single week increase in
history. No. 1 followed Hurricane Katrina with several oil refineries going
offline. No. 2 spiked in the wake of Hurricane Rita. Of the top ten single week
price increases, 6 are from 2008, with 3-5 happening in May. There have also
only been 20 double digit increases recorded, and 9 of them have happened this
year. The